(November 20, 2015) – Bassel Khartabil, a defender of freedom expression being held in conditions amounting to enforced disappearance may be facing a death sentence, 36 local and international organizations said today. His wife has received unconfirmed reports that a Military Field Court has sentenced him to death. His whereabouts should be disclosed immediately, and he should be released unconditionally, the groups said.

Military Intelligence detained Khartabil on March 15, 2012. He was held in incommunicado detention for eight months and was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. He is facing Military Field Court proceedings for his peaceful activities in support of freedom of expression. A military judge interrogated Khartabil for a few minutes on December 9, 2012, but he had heard nothing further about his legal case, he told his family. In December 2012 he was moved to ‘Adra prison in Damascus, where he remained until October 3, 2015, when he was transferred to an undisclosed location and has not been heard of since.

Reports that his wife received from alleged sources inside Military Intelligence suggest that since his disappearance he has been tried by a Military Field Court in the Military Police headquarters in al-Qaboun, which sentenced him to death. Military Field Courts in Syria are exceptional courts with secret closed-door proceedings that do not meet international fair trial standards. Defendants have no legal representation, and the courts’ decisions are binding and not subject to appeal. People brought before such courts who were later released have said that proceedings are perfunctory, often lasting only minutes.

Khartabil is a software developer who has used his technical expertise to help advance freedom of speech and access to information via the internet. He has won many awards, including the 2013 Index on Censorship Digital Freedom Award for using technology to promote an open and free internet. His arrest and on-going detention are apparently a direct result of his peaceful and legitimate work, the groups said.

Demands for his release have been published by this group since his arrest and have been echoed by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in April 2015.

The authorities in Syria should:

Immediately disclose the whereabouts of Bassel Khartabil and grant him access to a lawyer and to his family;

Ensure that he is protected from torture and other ill-treatment;

Immediately and unconditionally release him;

Release all detainees in Syria held for exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and association.

List of signatories:

Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT)

Amnesty International (AI)

Arab Foundation for Development and Citizenship (AFDC)

Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

Centre for Democracy and Civil Rights in Syria

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

EuroMed Rights (EMHRN)

Fraternity Foundation for Human Rights

Front Line Defenders (FLD)

Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

HIVOS Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Index on Censorship

Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR)

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) under the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Iraqi Association for the Defence of Journalists’ Rights (IJRDA)

Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada (LRWC)

Maharat Foundation

Metro Centre to Defend Journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan

PAX

PEN International

Rafto

Reporters Without Borders(RSF)

Rethink Rebuild Society

Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (SAF)

SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom

Syrian American Council (SAC)

Syrian Association for Citizenship

Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)

Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Syrian Women Association

The Day After Association (TDA)

Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC)

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) under the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

(October 7, 2015) – Syria’s authorities should immediately reveal the whereabouts of Bassel Khartabil, a software developer and defender of freedom of expression, 31 organizations said today. Syrian authorities transferred Khartabil, who has been detained since 2012, from `Adra central prison to an undisclosed location on October 3, 2015.

Khartabil managed to inform his family on October 3 that security officers had ordered him to pack but did not reveal his destination. His family has not received any official information but believe based on unconfirmed information they received that he may have been transferred to the military-run field court inside the Military Police base in Qaboun.

“There are real fears that Khartabil has been transferred back to the torture-rife facilities run by Syria’s security forces,” a spokesperson for the groups said. “Khartabil should be on his way out of jail rather than being disappeared again.”

The organizations repeated their call for the immediate release of Khartabil who is facing field court proceedings for his peaceful activities in support of freedom of information.

International law defines a disappearance action by state authorities to deprive a person of their liberty and then refuse to provide information regarding the person’s fate or whereabouts.

Military Intelligence detained Khartabil on March 15, 2012 and he has remained in detention since. He was initially held incommunicado in the Military Intelligence Detention facility in Kafr Souseh for eight months and later in the military jail in Sednaya, where prison personnel tortured him for three weeks, he later told his family. Officials provided Khartabil’s family with no information about where or why he was in custody until December 24, 2012, when authorities moved him to `Adra central prison, where Khartabil was eventually allowed visits from his family.

A Syrian of Palestinian parents, Khartabil is a 34-year old computer engineer who worked to build a career in software and web development. Before his arrest, he used his technical expertise to help advance freedom of speech and access to information via the Internet. Among other projects, he founded Creative Commons Syria, a nonprofit organization that enables people to share artistic and other work using free legal tools.

Military Field courts in Syria are exceptional courts that have secret closed-door proceedings and do not allow for the right to defense. According to accounts of released detainees who appeared before them, the proceedings of these courts were perfunctory, lasting minutes, and in absolute disregard of international standards of minimum fairness. During a field court proceeding on December 9, 2012, a military judge interrogated Khartabil, for a few minutes but he had heard nothing about his legal case since then.

“Bassel has always been a leading advocate for more transparency in Syria and the authorities should immediately reveal his whereabouts and reunite him with his family,” the spokesperson for the groups said.

List of signatories:

1. Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture (ACAT)

Amnesty International

Arab Foundation for Development and Citizenship

Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

Association for Progressive Communications

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

Euromed Rights (EMHRN)

FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Front Line Defenders

Global Voices Advox

Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR)

Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (HIVOS)

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Index on Censorship

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

Lawyers Rights Watch Canada (LRWC)

No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ)

One world foundation for development

Pax for Peace – Netherland

Pen International

RAW in WAR (Reach All Women in WAR)

Reporters without Borders (RSF)

Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (SAF)

SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom

Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)

The Day After

Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC)

Vivarta

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

On the third anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Syrian human rights lawyer Khalil Ma’touq and his assistant and friend Mohamed Zaza, the undersigned organizations are reiterating their call for the two men’s immediate and unconditional release.

The two men are believed to have been arrested on 2 October 2012 at one of the various government-operated checkpoints en route from Ma’touq’s home in the Damascus suburb of Sahnaya to his office in Damascus. Requests for information made to the public prosecutor in Damascus by his family and colleagues in 2012 and 2013 only led to the Syrian authorities denying the arrest of the men. Since then their families and friends have not received any information from the authorities about their wellbeing or whereabouts. Released detainees have, on the other hand, informed Ma’touq’s family that they spotted him in various government-operated detention facilities, including State Security Branch 285 and Military Intelligence Branch 235 in Damascus.

Although it is not clear exactly why the men were arrested, their enforced disappearance is likely related to Ma’touq’s work as a human rights lawyer specialized in the defence of political prisoners. He has worked, often pro bono, with hundreds of persons detained solely for the legitimate exercise of their human rights. He is also the director of the Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research. In 2015, he ended in second place on the shortlist for the Lawyers for Lawyers Award for lawyers “who work to promote the rule of law and human rights in an exceptional way and are threatened because of their work.”

Torture and other ill-treatment is rife in detention centres operated by the Syrian security forces and detainees are routinely subjected to appalling conditions. Former detainees at Branch 235, where Ma’touq was reported to have been seen, said that they were held in poor conditions in crowded cells with inadequate access to food, water and hygienic facilities. One detainee said that approximately five men from his cell died each day, which he attributed to either the result of torture or disease, including due to the detention conditions. Ma’touq suffers from advanced lung disease and his life may be at risk as he needs medication and medical attention.

Ma’touq and Zaza continue to be held despite calls by the international community to end the practices of enforced disappearances and torture and other ill-treatment in detention facilities in Syria. UN Security Council Resolution 2139 of February 2014 demanded the release of all those arbitrarily detained, a call reiterated by a UN Security Council Presidential Statement issued on 17 August 2015.

The Syrian authorities must heed these calls without further delay and release immediately and unconditionally Khalil Ma’touq and Mohamed Zaza as well as all others detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.

The UN Security Council should ensure the effective and immediate implementation of UN Resolution 2139 as well as unhindered access of independent international monitors to all persons deprived of their liberty.

Signatories:

Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT)

Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC)

Amnesty International (AI)

Amman Center for Human Rights Studies

Arab Foundation for Development and Citizenship

Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR)

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)

Centre for Democracy and Civil Rights in Syria

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

Committees for Defending Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria

Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights

El-Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence

Euromed Rights (EMHRN)

FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Foundation for Freedom of Thought and Expression

Front Line Defenders

Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR)

Humanistic Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS)

Human Rights Organization in Syria (MAF)

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

I’lam Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research

International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

International Media Support (IMS)

Iraqi Journalists Rights Defense Association (IJRDA)

Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria (Observer)

Kurdish Organization for Human Rights in Syria (DAD)

Lawyers for Lawyers

Maharat Foundation

March Lebanon

Media Foundation for West Africa

Metro Centre to Defend Journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan

National Organization for Human Rights in Syria

National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)

No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ)

Organization of Defending Prisoners of Opinion in Syria (Rawanka)

Pax for Peace – Netherland

Pen American Center

Pen International

Rethink Rebuild Society

Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (SAF)

SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom

Syrian American Council

Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research

Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)

The Day After

Tunisian Initiative for Freedom of Expression

Vigilance for Democracy and Civic State

Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC)

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

]]>http://free-syrian-voices.org/mazen-darwish-finally-released/feed/0Selective application of amnesty leaves Mazen Darwish in jailhttp://free-syrian-voices.org/selective-application-of-amnesty-leaves-mazen-darwish-in-jail/
http://free-syrian-voices.org/selective-application-of-amnesty-leaves-mazen-darwish-in-jail/#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2015 13:41:32 +0000http://free-syrian-voices.org/?p=3354Hani Al-Zaitani and Hussain Ghrer have been]]>Paris-Geneva, July 24, 2015 – Granted amnesty, Hussain Ghrer and Hani Al-Zaitani were released on July 17 and July 18, 2015, respectively. Both had been arbitrarily detained since February 2012, for promoting freedom of expression and monitoring gross human rights violations committed in Syria. The Observatory welcomes their release, but expresses its extreme concern for the situation of their fellow colleague and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Mazen Darwish, who is still in prison.

Human rights defenders and members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) Hani al-Zaitani and Hussein Ghrer have finally been released after more than three years of arbitrary detention. They were arrested on 16 February 2012, when plain clothes Air Force Intelligence agents raided the office of SCM in Damascus and arrested all present staff members, including Mazen Darwish, director of the SCM and the 2015 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

Hussein Ghrer and Hani al-Zaitani were released from Hama prison on 17 and 18 July 2015 respectively. Their colleague Mazen Darwish remains detained.

The three men are still on trial before the Syrian Anti-Terrorism Court on accusations of “publicizing terrorist acts,” The next court hearing on their case is scheduled for 22 July 2015.

Fa’eq al-Mir, who is also known as Fa’eq Ali Asa’d, aged 61, is a long-term peaceful political activist. Prior to his arrest he worked as an assistant engineer.

His son, Ali Asa’d, told Amnesty International: “Three words describe my father: optimistic, determined and energetic. He was always there for us, giving us hope in desperate times. He was very close to me and my sister – our relationships are like a friendship more than anything else.”

As a young man, Fa’eq joined the Communist Party Political Bureau, an unauthorized political party which called for democracy and free elections in Syria. As a result, at the age of 25 he was arrested by Syrian Military Intelligence for the first time and held for a month.

Thousands of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience were held during the presidency of Hafez al-Assad, the father of the current President Bashar al-Assad, many of them after grossly unfair trials. These included members and suspected members of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as of the Communist Party Political Bureau and the Communist Workers Party. Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees was rife.

In 1983, Fa’eq was discharged from his employment, which he later discovered was on the order of the security authorities. After a raid on his home by Political Security agents, he spent almost two years in hiding, but was eventually arrested again by Military Intelligence in Damascus. In 1989 he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Supreme State Security Court on charges including “membership in a secret organization aimed at overthrowing the political and social system of the state”. Proceedings before the Court were grossly unfair.

Ali continues: “The long and repeated detention periods took their toll on my father, both psychological and physical. He told us that he was tortured during his detention, specifically during the first three years he spent in the security branch. The torture and other ill-treatment left permanent injuries and pain in his neck and his spine, weak kidneys and hearing problems. “He was not able to see his children grow up; he was deprived of being able to celebrate the most important moments in his family’s life, including the birth of his first grandchild.”

Fa’eq al-Mir was released from Saydnaya Military Prison in 1999 but was arrested again in 2006 by State Security forces. He was detained in ‘Adra Prison for 18 months for “circulating false or exaggerated news which would weaken the morale of the nation”. He went into hiding again in 2010 and was sentenced in his absence to 15 years’ imprisonment for “weakening national sentiments”, a charge often used against peaceful government critics.

He eluded arrest for the following three years. However, on 7 October 2013 Fa’eq al-Mir left his home in Damascus in an area under the control of the government. He never returned but shortly afterwards a group of armed men in civilian clothing believed to be members of the security forces raided his house, intimidated his family and confiscated electronic equipment and other items.

His family have made two official inquiries, but have not received any answers. Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Fa’eq al-Mir. At a minimum, the authorities must inform his family of his whereabouts and provide him with immediate access to his family, lawyers and medical care.

Source: “Voices in Crisis”, Amnesty International, June 2015

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]]>http://free-syrian-voices.org/he-was-always-there-for-us/feed/0Forget your name and don’t talk to anyonehttp://free-syrian-voices.org/forget-your-name-and-dont-talk-to-anyone/
http://free-syrian-voices.org/forget-your-name-and-dont-talk-to-anyone/#commentsMon, 29 Jun 2015 06:26:09 +0000http://free-syrian-voices.org/?p=3331Shiyar Khalil, a Syrian journalist, describes his experience of being detained by the Syrian government

I was arrested on 23 April 2013 in the al-Sarouja neighbourhood of Damascus by members of the Palestine Branch, a detention centre run by the Military Intelligence. I was in a café with 17 of my friends. They came to arrest another journalist who was also there, but then arrested all of us. We were pushed into a van while being hit. As we were leaving we noticed the whole area was surrounded by security agents, as if they were arresting a group of terrorists.

From our group only one person is still in prison.

They initially just wanted two of my colleagues; they began hitting them in front of us. Then they took us one by one to a separate room for questioning. When they saw that I had a travel ban (the Political Security imposed this ban on me at the start of the revolution because of my work as a journalist), they started hitting me.

One of my friends “confessed” that I worked with the wanted journalist, so they kept asking me if I also worked with Orient TV [an opposition-operated TV channel]. They kept hitting me until I confessed that I worked with Sky News, and that I was an activist and part of a group called Syria for All.

Some of my colleagues “confessed” under torture; their confessions were what hurt me the most, as they were used against me. For instance, I used to work with Lakhdar Brahimi [former UN and Arab League Special Envoy to
Syria] when he used to visit Syria. I used to give him information about government abuses. The interrogator said, “Lakhdar Brahimi is here in the branch with us.” I was a little shocked then realized that he meant a 2m long green plastic pipe (in Arabic “Lakhdar” literally means “the green one”), which he then used to beat me for about three hours, during which I lost consciousness. The interrogation on the first day began at around 4pm and finished at around 6am.

At around 6am they released some and kept about eight others, including me. They then took us to different cells, each of which was severely overcrowded. They gave each of us a number. This was their attempt at taking our humanity away from us; we were no longer people, just numbers. I was number 101. They told me, “This is your number, forget your name and don’t talk to anyone.” The cells smelled of blood; people were cramped to the point of sleeping on top of each other. There were many diseases, from gangrene to scabies. The guard would cover his nose with a piece of cloth whenever he opened the cell door because the smell was so bad.

Every day around five of the men in my cell died: they were removed and new prisoners brought in. The causes of death varied, many due to torture, others from disease. We had no access to any real medical care. There was one
doctor who would only come into the cell in the most severe circumstances, but he was a butcher, just like the guards. One time he was called about a man whose legs were badly infected and the infection was spreading. Instead of helping him, the doctor beat his legs with a stick.

After two weeks, they began the second round of interrogations. The interrogator showed me videos they found on my laptop. He asked me, “In Qamishly you taped the FSA [Free Syrian Army, a coalition of armed opposition groups], didn’t you?” I told him that at the time I was in Qamishly, there was no FSA there and that I only recorded peaceful demonstrations; he called me a liar and beat me with the “Lakhdar Brahimi” stick. I still have the scars on my face.

During this interrogation I “confessed” to some things I had done but also others that I had not. However, they continued the interrogation by putting me in the shabeh position [a stress position in which the victim is suspended by their manacled wrists or feet] three times, each time for 15 minutes in total]. They wanted me to confess that I worked with Orient TV, which I did not. I was tortured a lot during this interrogation. One time he told me to lie down on my front, and he began hitting my legs, saying “you are a stubborn Kurd, why don’t you just confess.” I kept on telling him I was a nationalist, I think of myself as Syrian and not Kurdish. He would reply, “You are Kurdish and you only care about creating your Kurdistan.”

This kind of interrogation continued over the next two months and 10 days.

After this the same interrogator called my name and said “We apologize Mr Shiyar, we are trying to protect the country, you will understand”. I felt like I was dying at this point; I had lost weight, my health was in a very bad situation. They then took me back to the cell downstairs for another month. They then took us to a military court, which transferred us to the Military Police, and from there we were taken to ‘Adra Prison.

After one month in ‘Adra Prison, they released the journalist for whom they had initially conducted the raid. We later spoke about her experience in detention. Twice during my time in the Palestine Branch I saw glimpses of women dancing when I wasn’t blindfolded on the way to interrogation. I asked her about this. She said that there were 250 women in the Palestine Branch. At night the prison guards would get drunk and take two or three girls out of the cell and make them dance for them. There were also reports of cases of rape.

After two months in ‘Adra Prison, I was taken before a judge at the Anti-Terrorism Court. He asked me if I worked with Lakhdar Brahimi; I lied and said no. He asked if I worked with Sky News, I said no. And so on. I denied everything. I was then taken back to ‘Adra and kept there for seven additional months.

During this time, security forces personnel raided the house of my friend, the other journalist. There they found a hard drive that belonged to me and contained information about my activities in the liberated areas in Syria, including photos and videos. Then a statement came from the head of the Ministry of Interior that a group of terrorists had “confessed” that I worked with them. I was taken to a Criminal Security branch where I was “welcomed” with beatings and being put in the shabeh position.

After two months of torture and interrogation, I was told that I would have to go on Syrian state TV and “confess” that I was a terrorist and involved in terrorist activities. I kept on refusing this. The interrogator burned my hands and back with cigarettes and then brought in a girl I knew and began harassing her sexually. He said, “If you don’t agree we will rape her and it would be your responsibility because you are refusing to do this.” I felt I had no choice but to agree.

Three days later they brought me new clothes. They kept my beard long so that I looked “more like a terrorist”. Two officials came from the Department of Media of the Ministry of Interior and we recorded a 55 minute programme. They put a blackboard in front of me and wrote down what they wanted me to say. I confessed to everything they wanted. I told them that the protests were all a lie, that we used to tape foreigners and pretend they were Syrian, that much of the footage was fabricated.

Around two months afterwards they came back and said that they needed me to record another tape, because there was a joint statement by a number of international human rights NGOs alleging that I was being tortured in prison and that I was subjected to a forced confession. They wanted to do another recording to reply to this. Two days later they came back and said that there was too much pressure from the media and that they would not redo the recording after all.

I was returned to ‘Adra Prison. After two months there, they took me to the Anti-Terrorism Court again. Two well-known human rights lawyers were appointed as my lawyers. Eventually the charges were dropped, I think because Lakhdar Brahimi had been advocating for my release.

On 10 June 2015, the European Parliament issued the following resolution:

” The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria, including that of 30 April 2015(1),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 6 February 2015 entitled ‘Elements for an EU regional strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the Da’esh threat’,

– having regard to the statements and reports by the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the conflict in Syria,

– having regard to the reports of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council,

– having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court adopted on 17 July 1998, in particular Article 8(2)(b)(ix) thereof, which states that intentionally directing attacks against historic monuments constitutes a war crime,

– having regard to its resolution of 30 April 2015 on the destruction of cultural sites perpetrated by ISIS/Da’esh,

– having regard to Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which states that ‘the Union and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and the competent international organisations in the sphere of culture’,

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 116/2009 of 18 December 2008 on the export of cultural goods,

– having regard to the resolution on the creation of an informal network of law enforcement authorities and expertise competent in the field of cultural goods (EU CULTNET) adopted by the Council at its meeting of 25 and 26 October 2012,

– having regard to the Second Protocol (1999) to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,

– having regard to the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, of 21 May 2015 on the situation in Palmyra; and having regard to the statement by the Spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton of 17 February 2012 condemning the arrest of Mazen Darwich, and to the Local EU Statement of 3 April 2012 on the continued detention without charge of Mr Mazen Darwish and seven other human rights defenders,

– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, adopted in June 2004, and updated in 2008,

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015),

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

– having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas over 220 000 people, mostly civilians, have lost their lives since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011; whereas massive and recurrent violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been committed by the Assad regime, IS/Da’esh, al-Nusra and the other parties involved in conflict; whereas the overwhelming majority of these crimes have so far gone unpunished;

B. whereas the use of torture, mass arrests and widespread destruction of populated areas have dramatically escalated over the past few months; and whereas large numbers of Syrians are being displaced, some even being forced to move further away from the humanitarian assistance they need;

C. whereas IS/Da’esh have killed at least 400 people, including women and children, in Palmyra since capturing the ancient Syrian city and, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, have executed at least 217 people and detained another 600, including women and children accused of having dealings with the regime’s forces and hiding regime members in their houses;

D. whereas the capture of the city of Palmyra was followed by ferocious air strikes by pro-Assad forces, which killed more than a dozen civilians and led to many of the remaining inhabitants fleeing;

E. whereas after a fresh offensive in April-May 2015 IS/Da’esh captured Ramadi on 17 May and Palmyra on 21 May, bringing 50 % of Syrian territory under its control; whereas the transnational nature of the so-called Islamic State, which has significant financial resources and around 200 000 fighters, according to some sources, poses a threat to the wider region; whereas thousands of foreigners, including EU citizens, are estimated to be fighting with these armed groups; whereas the upsurge of IS/Da’esh has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, notably with a massive displacement of civilians;

F. whereas on 5 June 2015 the members of the UN Security Council expressed outrage at the high level of violence and all attacks against civilians in Syria and condemned the terrorist attacks carried out by IS/Da’esh, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups operating in the country,

G. whereas Palmyra is situated between Damascus and the eastern city of Deir al-Zour and has important gas fields and phosphate mines in its vicinity; whereas the capture of Palmyra coincided with IS/Da’esh’s conquest of Ramadi in Iraq’s Anbar province, but also came shortly after IS/Da’esh’s territorial losses around Tikrit;

H. whereas Palmyra, which is more than 2000 years old, is an immensely important cultural site and is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list; whereas on 21 May 2015 the Director-General of UNESCO appealed for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the city;

I. whereas Palmyra is a symbol of Syria’s rich cultural heritage, containing the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; whereas IS/Da’esh’s mass killings and acts of destruction of archaeological and cultural heritage have been considered, under certain circumstances, to constitute crimes against humanity and ‘cultural cleansing’, and amount to a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; whereas these systematic attacks on cultural heritage were described by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova as ‘cultural cleansing’;

J. whereas IS/Da’esh is systematically attacking and destroying the cultural heritage of both Iraq and Syria as a tactic of war to spread terror and hatred; whereas, as a result of IS/Da’esh’s capture of Palmyra, the historical heritage of this city is under threat of destruction;

K. whereas in the EU’s regional strategy for Syria and Iraq and the IS/Da’esh threat, which was adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 March 2015, the EU strongly condemns the deliberate destruction of archaeological and cultural heritage, and notes that such actions may amount to a war crime within the meaning of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC);

L. having regard to the three-year Emergency Safeguarding of the Syrian Heritage project launched by UNESCO and other partners with a view to protecting the country’s cultural heritage;

M. whereas illicit trade in cultural goods is now the third most significant illegal trade after drugs and arms, whereas this illicit trade is dominated by organised criminal networks, and whereas current national and international mechanisms are neither adequately equipped nor supported to tackle the issue; whereas the EU has taken all the appropriate steps in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2199 (2015) to prevent the illegal trade in cultural property;

N. whereas since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011 there have been widespread and grave human rights violations, in particular the deliberate targeting, arbitrary detention and disappearance of independent journalists, human rights defenders, humanitarian workers and medical personnel, subjected to threats, violence, arbitrary arrest and disappearance in Syria;

O. whereas Mazen Darwish, a Syrian journalist and activist and president of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression, has been imprisoned since 2012, as have Hani Al-Zaitani and Hussain Ghrer, for their work defending freedom of expression; whereas Mazen Darwish was reportedly subjected to severe torture and ill-treatment and on 6 May 2015 was taken to an unknown location; whereas Mazen Darwish has been awarded the 2015 UNESCO Press Freedom Prize, as well as other important international awards, such as the Preis der Lutherstädte – ‘Das unerschrockene Wort’ 2015, the Bruno-Kreisky-Preis für Verdienste um die Menschenrechte 2013, and the PEN-Pinter Prize 2014; whereas the continued imprisonment of Mazen Darwish, Hani Al-Zaitani and Hussain Ghrer is further evidence of the repressive nature of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria;

P. whereas in Resolution 67/262 of 15 May 2013 the UN General Assembly demanded that the Syrian authorities immediately release all persons arbitrarily detained, including the members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression;

Q. whereas on 19 February 2015 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, urged the Syrian authorities to release all those being held in prison for having peacefully expressed their views, including Mazen Darwish;

R. whereas hundreds of human rights defenders have been subjected to threats, violence, arbitrary arrest and disappearance in Syria; whereas this includes human rights lawyer and 2011 Sakharov Prize laureate Razan Zeitouneh, who was abducted in Duma on 9 December 2013;

1. Strongly condemns the gruesome systematic and widespread human rights abuses, violations of international humanitarian law committed by the al-Assad regime, terrorists belonging to IS/Da’esh and other jihadi groups in Syria, and the sentences and charges against political, civil and human rights activists, bloggers and journalists; reiterates its absolute condemnation of torture, intensified shelling and the use of aerial bombardment, including barrel bombs, by the Syrian Government; expresses its deep sympathy to the victims; remains profoundly dismayed by the harrowing level of human suffering and loss of life in the Syrian conflict and is extremely concerned at the deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in Syria;

2. Condemns IS/Da’esh’s seizure of Palmyra on 21 May 2015 following a nine-day assault that cost many lives and the fact that it has since murdered at least 217 people in and around the city and continued to commit widespread abuses and atrocities in the ‘caliphate’ it has proclaimed in the areas it controls in Syria and Iraq;

3. Expresses its concern for the situation at the site of Palmyra and the thousands of Palmyra residents inside the city, as well as for those displaced as a result of IS/Da’esh’s advance and for the women and children in Palmyra, noting IS/Da’esh’s pattern of abducting, exploiting, and abusing women and children elsewhere, including rape, sexual abuse, forced marriage and forced child recruitment;

4. Encourages the Council, the Commission and the High Representative to make all necessary financial and human resources available to assist the refugees;

5. Welcomes the commitment to redouble collective efforts to defeat IS/Da’esh made at the ministerial meeting of the international coalition against IS/Da’esh in Paris on 3 June; calls on the coalition to step up efforts to implement a common, multi-dimensional and long-term strategy to weaken and eventually eradicate IS/Da’esh; stresses the need to complement this strategy with strengthened cooperation with all regional state and non-state actors committed to fighting IS/Da’esh;

6. Remains convinced that there can be neither effective conflict resolution nor sustainable peace in Syria without accountability for the crimes committed by all sides during the conflict;

7. Points out that a sustainable solution to the crisis in Syria can be achieved only through an inclusive political settlement based on the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 and supported by the international community; calls on the UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to work with all parties towards a genuine political transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enables them independently and democratically to determine their own future;

8. Calls on the international community to increase the efforts to find solutions in order to mitigate the crisis and end the war in Syria and voices its support for those engaged in combating IS/Da’esh in Syria and Iraq; calls on the governments of the region to work together, as close cooperation on security matters is the only means of bringing peace and security to the region;

9. Calls on the international community to do everything in its power to protect the civilian population and safeguard the unique cultural heritage of Palmyra, and calls on all parties for an immediate end to hostilities in Palmyra and for the safe passage of civilians fleeing the violence;

10. Demands an immediate halt to the destruction of the cultural heritage of Syria and Iraq, including religious sites and objects; emphasises that no such acts committed by IS/Da’esh or other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities can be tolerated, and also calls for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Iraq by protecting cultural and religious property and sites in accordance with international humanitarian law;

11. Urges the EU and the Member States to launch awareness-raising campaigns in order to discourage the illicit purchase and sale of cultural goods from the conflict areas;

12. Reiterates the high value of the cultural heritage for the whole of humanity and therefore considers that its destruction should be regarded as an indefensible war crime;

13. Underlines the need for joint efforts by the international community to prevent the illegal trade in cultural property and the illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts, which contributes to the financing of IS/Da’esh;

14. Endorses the statements made by the Director-General of UNESCO and all special measures taken by the UN and UNESCO with a view to protecting Palmyra and any other cultural and historical sites that come under threat;

15. Calls on the UN Secretary-General to refer the issue of the protection of all cultural sites under threat from terrorist groups including IS/Da’esh to the Security Council, with a view to the adoption of a resolution on the matter;

16. Calls on the Member States and the EU institutions to take practical steps, in cooperation with the United Nations, to protect cultural, historical, religious and archaeological sites that are under threat in Palmyra and the Middle East as a whole;

17. Welcomes and underlines the critical importance of the work of local and international civil society organisations in documenting human rights violations, evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other violations; expresses its deepest admiration and solidarity for all the Syrian activists who continue tirelessly to monitor, document and report on the human rights situation in their war-torn country, at the risk of their own lives;

18. Is deeply concerned about the ever-spiralling degradation of the humanitarian and human rights situation in Syria and stresses the need to respect freedom of expression and the freedom of human rights defenders to carry out their work, in line with Syria’s international obligations; points out that every individual has a right to freedom of opinion and expression, and that this is a fundamental human right; condemns all violations of press freedoms and all acts of violence against journalists in Syria;

19. Calls on the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against Mazen Darwish and all those detained, convicted and/or sentenced for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and association, as well as all human rights defenders and political rights activists arbitrarily deprived of their liberty on the basis of their human rights activities;

20. Urges the Syrian authorities to disclose the fate and the whereabouts of the three men immediately, and to ensure that they are protected from torture and ill-treatment, allowed immediate contact with their families and lawyers, and provided with any medical attention they may require;

21. Urges all Member States to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance as a matter of priority; calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States to promote universal ratification and the implementation of this key human rights instrument and to support the work of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, established under this Convention;

22. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria, and all the parties involved in the conflict in Syria”.

On 1 June 2015, prison authorities failed to present Mazen Darwish, Hussein Ghrer and Hani al-Zaitani before the Damascus Anti-Terrorism court for a verdict hearing scheduled for that day. The trial, which has already been rescheduled 24 times since February 2013, was therefore suspended until 22 July 2015.

Messrs. Mazen Darwish, Hani Al-Zaitani and Hussain Ghrer, respectively President and members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), who are arbitrarily detained since February 2012, for promoting freedom of expression and monitoring gross human rights violations committed in the country have been unaccounted for since May 3, 2015.